A Good Time
by Brunette
Summary: The plan. The thief. The accomplice. The belly-dancer. The decoy. The target. Rick O'Connell wasn't just looking for a good time when he wound up in Cairo Prison. He walked into a trap.
1. The Plan

_**Author's Note. **Ever since I saw the first movie, I assumed that Beni was referring to Rick's hanging when he said, "You're alive! I was so very, very worried." While the simple explanation could be that they actually hadn't seen each other since Hamunaptra, I've always liked to think that Rick gave Beni a second chance...and that it landed him in prison. _

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy_ belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Plan**

Beni hated the feeling of handcuffs on his wrists. The metal was heavy and a little moist, probably from some other bastard's sweat and blood, and he grimaced a little at his hands in his lap before he put on his most pathetic face. The door behind him opened and he let out a whiny groan, turning his big, desperate eyes to Warden Hassan. The squat little man gave him a helpless smile and let out a sigh, taking his seat behind his desk.

"Ahhh, Beni," he said, opening a tattered file in front of him.

Beni's expression hadn't moved. He watched the warden hopefully. "Come on, Gad, my friend, what can you do to help me out?"

Hassan shook his head gravely at the file, wagging his finger a little. "It is not good, Beni."

"Oh, come on," he whined. "How bad can it be?"

Hassan looked up, meeting his eyes with beady sympathy. "You're a deserter. They would like to cart you back to Algeria and have you tried."

Beni sighed loudly and looked at his hands.

"I have heard the beatings are especially harsh," Gad went on. Beni's eyes jerked up, meeting the warden's cruel gaze. He gave him the edge of his glare before quickly resuming his helpless facade.

"You can't send me back to Algeria. Gad! After all I have done for you..."

The warden scoffed. "Oh, and what have you done for me?"

Beni sat up a little in his seat. "I helped you with that girl, didn't I? The one who said you got her in trouble?"

"Psh," Gad said, "that was over a year ago. And you only helped me to cut your time short for that burglary."

"Oh, but those were false charges!" Beni said. "We both know I never stepped foot in that house."

The warden's eyes narrowed. "Be careful what you say, Beni. I still have a file hidden somewhere with a_ very_ thorough description of you from that burglary."

Beni gulped a little, and tried to cross his arms before remembering that he was still cuffed. But he looked back at the warden with an easy air.

"That woman only said I took advantage of her because her husband got home before she could change her sheets."

Gad rose an eyebrow. "She told me she would drop the charges if you just returned her bracelet."

"I put it in the hands of the authorities."

The warden laughed, pulling back his sleeve to show the glint of a gold-and-diamond bracelet. Beni laughed, too, and the room was momentarily filled with the sound of their guilty chortles. Beni breathed a sigh at last, holding out his wrists to Hassan.

"Come on, Gad. Why don't you let me go?"

But the warden only shook his head. "I cannot do that, Beni. I just received the list of men from your garrison the other day. You are all wanted, did you know that?"

He opened a drawer and pulled out a cigar, putting it between his teeth while he lit it up. His words were a little slurred as he spoke around it:

"And you all have a price on your head," he chuckled darkly. "What a price."

Beni's eyes narrowed. "What, thirty pieces of silver?" Gad looked confused. "It's in the Bible, you stupid heathen."

The warden crossed his thick arms and gave him a taunting smirk:

"It comes out to about three hunred pounds. They pay in francs."

Beni glared distastefully at the floor. Some friend. Fat, stinking maggot was going to sell _him_ back to the Legion? After all he'd done to kiss his ass, to get in good so that he'd never have to stay in prison long? He was a traitor, that's what he was.

"The only way I could do any better is if you were an officer."

Beni started to mutter some crude comments in a language he knew Gad wouldn't understand, but an idea struck him hard and had him grinning like a fool.

"What if I had an officer for you?"

The warden sat up a little in interest. "Who?"

Beni shook his head. "Oh, we are not about to play that game, my friend. You release me and I will bring him to you."

Gad was unmoved. "How do I know this isn't a clever trick?"

Beni gasped, looking scandalized. "After all we have been through, you accuse me of trying to swindle you?"

"After all we have been through, I'd be a fool not to."

Beni scoffed. "You know where to find me. I will have him for you by the end of the week, or you can take me instead."

The warden thought this over, and then nodded. "Very well. You bring me the man by Friday."

He took a key from the ring on his belt, and Beni held out his hands while he unlocked it. He felt relieved as the heavy metal cuffs fell off of his wrists, and he rubbed the skin there a moment before holding out his hand. Hassan took it and gave it a shake, but Beni didn't release it.

"And what will you tell the Legion about me?"

Gad shrugged. "It is a shame. But a fellow like you, with your mouth - it is no wonder you were stabbed to death by another prisoner."

Beni smiled. "That's good. I like that one."

He let go of the warden's hand and started for the door.

"Friday, Beni, or I'm sending out the dogs."

Beni rolled his eyes, but didn't look back.


	2. The Accomplice

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Shot**

Beni's throat was itching for a cigarette by the time he made it out into the street again. The sun was blazing hot and even the natives seemed to have enough sense to stay off the streets today; the usually busy, dusty street was more or less vacant. Sweat started to bead on his skin almost immediately - from the sun, of course - but also from the sinking, nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He never liked offering up his own neck as leverage, but Gad had left him no choice (what a pal!). He was fairly certain he could deliver on his promise, but he wasn't sitting comfortably just yet.

He needed a plan.

He knew O'Connell was alive. That disappointing shock had come with a lot of bruises and armed threats, but as usual, they were empty. O'Connell wouldn't kill him. He never would. He'd certainly hurt him, and that was always unpleasant. But in the midst of all of his beatings, he hadn't missed the fact that the death threats were void of any action. When O'Connell had found him at the bar and dragged him up by his collar, he'd shoved a revolver under his chin. And out of the corner of his eye, Beni noticed that O'Connell's finger wasn't even on the trigger. It was like he thought he could scare Beni into being a good person. He supposed he was grateful for the American's stupidity.

He'd been keeping an eye on O'Connell. It wasn't very hard. Big, brawny Americans were hard to miss in Cairo's underworld. He knew the places he liked to go, and the things he liked to do. He was the same as he always was. They even had a drink, now and then, if O'Connell happened to notice him lurking about. That's just the way he was. Obnoxiously forgiving.

Though...not completely. After a few drinks, Beni had suggested a con the two of them might try. Plenty of people were looking for Hamunaptra - and the two of them knew just how to get there. If the two of them took groups to Hamunaptra...or, _halfway_ to Hamunaptra, they could make a lot of money. But Rick wasn't interested. Beni had no problem running the con himself - he preferred it even - except that it always helped to have a big, muscley oaf when doing something of that nature.

Beni knew it was because O'Connell was too soft-hearted, but he told him he had other things lined up. And then, a month or so later, he introduced Beni to his squirrelly, pathetic replacement.

_Izzy_...Beni groaned at the thought of that idiot with his gold teeth and his stupid, grating accent. English wasn't the easiest language to begin with, but Izzy made it virtually inhuman. Between his bizarre idioms and half-pronounced words, Beni lost his patience at understanding the man. He was good with languages, probably even a genius at them, he figured. So there was no excuse for Izzy to talk like a pig.

For the most part, he avoided Izzy, but he was dragging himself to his room today. O'Connell may have thought Izzy was a trustier version of himself, but Beni could see the truth. Izzy was every bit as greedy as he was. As everyone was - except O'Connell, with his aggrevating moral compass. Though, apparently, even O'Connell's sense of duty and morality had failed. There was a desertation price on his head, the same as Beni's. Perhaps he wasn't such a martyr after all.

Beni made it to the flea-bitten hotel that Izzy lived in, the lobby only a vague relief from the heat outside. He pulled his sleeve over his forehead to wipe the sweat away; he was dripping. God, he hated Egypt.

Flies buzzed near the light fixtures in the dimly lit stairway as Beni trudged up to Izzy's floor. He was exhausted from the heat and the anxiety of his near-incarceration, and he hoped that Izzy had something worth drinking in that hole in the wall he lived in.

He made it to Izzy's door and knocked. He was sure he heard someone inside, but the door was unmoved. He knocked again. And again. He heard some grumbled curses, muffled by the walls.

"Hey, Izzy!" he yelled. "Let me in!"

He thought he heard Izzy shout something, but he had no idea what the man said. After another moment, he heard the lock jingle, and the door swung open. Izzy glared at him with his leery, yellow eyes.

"Beni?" he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Beni scoffed, letting himself in. He noticed immediately that Izzy wasn't wearing any pants, and a large bandage bulged beneath his underwear. Beni watched him with a frown as he closed the door and hobbled over to lean against the wall.

"What happened to you?" Beni asked, taking a seat on his bed (the only stick of furniture in the room). He reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

Izzy let out a loud sigh. "I was shot in the ass!"

Beni tried to subdue a laugh, but just couldn't. He errupted into a fit of cruel chuckles, which Izzy mocked back at him.

"Oh, think it's funny, do you? T'wouldn't think it funny at all if it was your own ass, now would you?"

Beni tried to catch his breath, but when he noticed that big, stupid bandage again, he could hardly contain himself.

"Oh, yes, har, har, har! Laugh it up, you weaselly little blackguard. Meanwhile I can't even sit down!"

Beni wheezed out a final sigh, looking steadily up at Izzy's face to avoid catching a glimpse of his bandage.

"Oh, grow up," he said. "I've been hit worse places than that."

Izzy laughed now. "Oh, _sure_. The only place anyone would manage to hit you is in your back as you're hightailing yourself away."

Beni snorted. "And of course, you are not like that _at all_. People are always shot in the ass when fighting bravely. I think in America you can get a medal for it."

Izzy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Always such a clever one, you."

"Well, I have never been shot in the ass."

Izzy crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight against the wall. "So why are you here? Besides to cheer me up after my injury?"

"Of course," Beni said.

"Of course," Izzy let out a little scoff. "Did you little minx kick you out?"

Beni groaned loudly, finally lighting his cigarette because he really _was_ going to need it if they were going to discuss_ her._

"She can't kick me out. It is my apartment." He took a long drag of his cigarette. "She needs her own place, though."

Izzy grinned impishly. "Send her over here. I have plenty of room."

Beni shot him a look. "If I could _give_ her away, she would be all yours."

"She can't be that bad," Izzy said, his eyes getting a little jealous. "She's quite the little strumpet."

Beni wasn't sure what that meant, but he wasn't about to ask. "What is that O'Connell says? She's dumb as a rock."

"Even better."

"No," Beni said, shaking his head. "Not better. She asks the stupidest questions."

Izzy leaned back on his heels a moment, his face breaking into a grin. This was far from the first time Beni had complained about her idiocy, and it always made for a good story. "Like what?"

Beni took a drag of his cigarette and breathed out a weary sigh. "Yesterday she asked me if I was sure it was Franz Ferdinand, and not Ferdinand Franz." He attempted to mimick her babydoll voice: " 'Because Ferdinand is a first name, and Franz sounds more like a last name. Do you think maybe they have it mixed up?' "

Izzy burst out laughing, doubling over for a second from the strength of his amusement. Beni chuckled a moment before letting out another disgruntled sigh.

"I told her, 'no, honey' - "

"You call her honey? That's sweet."

Beni rolled his eyes. "Actually I call her _cherie_."

Izzy's face twisted with surprise. "She's still stuck on that French chap?"

Beni let out a groan, reaching a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose. As if she wasn't annoying enough, she had to maintain this moronic obsession with her previous boyfriend, a snooty French art dealer named Jacques who apparently abandoned her here. She carried a picture of him with her everywhere she went, and Beni supposed ol' Jacques was the only reason she was with him in the first place. She imagined they looked alike - and maybe they did, if Beni had been a slick Frenchman with much finer features. He didn't really mind her love affair with the man, only he was tired of telling her not to yell "Jacques!" when they were in bed.

"Of course she is."

Izzy cackled. "I suppose it does make sense. If she was over him, she wouldn't be shacking up with the likes of you now, would she?"

Beni shrugged, taking another drag of his cigarette. His eyes scanned the room in disgust before landing on his companion again.

"She is not very smart." He smirked. "She would probably get shot in the ass."

Izzy looked offended before a dirty smile spread across his face. "I'd like to give her a shot in the ass..."

Beni rolled his eyes. He wanted to leave, but it occurred to him that he hadn't even mentioned the reason he'd come in the first place. He sat up a little, looking Izzy in the eye.

"Hey, how are you feeling about O'Connell these days?"

Izzy snorted, frowning bitterly. "About the way I feel about getting shot in the ass. T's his fault, you know."

Beni perked up considerably. "Oh?"

He nodded, his face grim for a moment before an idea struck him. He motioned to a pile of clothes on the floor. "You toss me them pants there, and I'll show you what I took this bullet over."

Beni's brow furrowed. "How do you expect to get pants over that bandage?"

Izzy huffed a sigh. "Well I'll have to take the bandage off, won't I?"

With a shrug, Beni leaned back in his chair. "Get your own damn pants."

They watched each other for a tense little moment, and Izzy's face spread with a knowing grin.

"You've come because you want something, haven't you?"

Beni groaned in defeat, pulling himself out off of the bed to get the pants. He watched Izzy struggle painfully to pull the bandage off and get his pants on with a dark sort of amusement. When Izzy was finally ready, he hobbled over the door, and Beni followed.

"So where are we going?"


	3. The Bellydancer

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Bellydancer**

"Why don't you sit down?"

"I can't sit down, you nitwit. My ass has been blown to smitherines, now, hasn't it?"

Beni sighed, glancing away from his companion. He was far past his patience with Izzy, and he would have liked very much to sneak off to a bar and sit by himself for a while. But Izzy was insistent on showing him the mystery of his gunshot, and if he stayed patient and acted sympathetic enough, he might get the irritating bastard on board with his plan.

"Let's go to a hookah table."

But Izzy only shook his head. "We can see better from here."

Beni snorted. Izzy had dragged him to a dark, seedy little casbah not far from the hotel he lived in. To Beni, it seemed identical to nearly every other place in town to get a drink. It was one of those places that had a stage, and it was currently occupied with a bad sitar player and a string of chubby Arab girls.

"I've seen bellydancers before," he said.

Izzy looked down at him and shook his head. "Not like this one."

Beni frowned incredulously. He didn't really get the hype with bellydancers. The only exposed part of their bodies weren't particularly tantalizing, and he thought they all looked like they'd given birth the day before they got on stage. In Paris, he attended a number of places where, for a few francs, he could watch a pretty enough girl take all of her clothes off. Bellydancing was no great thrill, as far as he was concerned.

"This girl," Izzy was saying, "we met her in Marrakesh."

Beni snorted. "I have been to Marrakesh, too."

And the bellydancers there weren't any more entertaining than the ones here in Egypt.

"Well, then apparently you never saw Yasmine."

Beni's eyebrows rose. "Aren't they all named Yasmine?"

Izzy rolled his eyes, but found himself laughing anyway. "I know all the blokes are named Muhammad."

Beni snickered, standing up. "I am going to find a drink."

But the current hacks on stage were being ushered off, and Izzy reached out and took his shoulder. Beni shot him a look and started to say something, but Izzy wasn't paying him any attention at all. A strange, slow melody slipped through the air, and the casbah became very quiet. Sighing, Beni turned his attention to the stage.

The curtain opened on a woman standing alone, her arms raised over her head and her palms pressed together. Whatever she was wearing was fitted so closely that, had it not been marked with some webbed design, he might have thought she was naked. Her skin glittered under the lights, and after a moment Beni realized that she wasn't wearing some full-length unitard, but was instead covered gold and black paint. His jaw dropped a little, and he didn't even notice himself leaning a little closer.

"Have you heard that legend? The one about that pharaoh's wife?"

Beni shook his head absent-mindedly.

"I don't really remember how it goes, to be honest. But this fellow Ahmad told me he made her paint up her whole body so that no one else could touch her."

"So?"

Izzy gave him a look. _"So_, that's what this dance is about."

Beni didn't really care what the dance was about. This woman, Yasmine, didn't look like any other bellydancer he'd ever seen. Her body, which as far as he could tell was flawless, moved and twisted in long, sensual motions to the music. Her black hair fell in thick waves past her shoulders. When he finally decided to take a look at her face, he noticed a proud beauty marked by high cheekbones and catlike eyes.

"She's the daughter of a, uh, imam or something. She ran away from an arranged marriage. Now she does this."

Beni sighed. He couldn't believe Izzy insisted on jabbering when there was a perfectly good show going on in front of them.

"She's in love with O'Connell."

Beni straightened, tearing his eyes away from her hips to look at Izzy curiously. The other man nodded.

"We were robbing that winery just across the street. It was my turn to do the stick-up, so I did. And Rick was supposed to pick me up in a stolen car. Only he didn't. She saw him and pulled him in here, and when I come running out of the store, I find myself alone. So I take a minute to scan the area, only I took a little too much of a minute, and _bam!_ Shot in the ass. The son of a bitch had the decency to come out when he heard the gunshot, and he thinks himself a real hero for taking me to the hospital. But I was in that lousy butchery all of twenty minutes, having a bullet dug out with no ether, and then I'm hauled off to Cairo Prison. Do you know how many black men with Cockney accents are about here? Hmm? Let me tell you, it's not many."

Izzy crossed his arms over his chest and let out a bitter sigh.

"So then what happened?"

"Oh, he bailed me out when he heard - after _three days_ in that hell hole. He sent her there with the money, and they let me out fast enough. And I've been convalescing ever since."

Beni nodded slowly, his eyes wandering easily back to Yasmine and her breasts. He watched her dance a moment longer before saying:

"So she is in love with O'Connell?"

"Oh, yes. Head over heels, wants-to-have-babies in love."

Beni scoffed. "Him too?"

Izzy shook his head, his expression dismissive. "Oh, of course not. Like O'Connell will ever settle down. You know how he is. He thinks with his prick."

Beni snickered. The music faded, and Yasmine slowed to a final pose. The lights on stage went out, and the crowd errupted in applause.

Izzy breathed a sigh. "Well, there she is. I don't know about you, but I'm a little sore at being left out to dry over a woman who'll show her painted tits off to anybody."

"I would leave you to get shot in the ass for her."

Izzy rolled his eyes. "Well yes, I know_ you_ would. But O'Connell isn't like you."

Beni's face broke into an ugly little grin. He leaned closer to Izzy and lowered his voice. "How do you feel about paying him back?"

Izzy scoffed. "I don't particularly like what happens on O'Connell's bad side. But you know all about that, don't you?"

"What if he would not be around?"

Izzy shook his head. "I'm awfully mad at the wanker, but I wouldn't want him killed over it."

Beni rolled his eyes. "I am not talking about killing him, you moron."

"Then what?"

Beni's eyes shifted about the casbah before returning to Izzy. "He's a deserter from the Legion. They want to haul everyone from our garrison in to be tried - in Algeria."

Izzy's eyebrows rose. "Am I mistaken, or doesn't that include you?"

Beni sighed, his back stiffening with apprehension. "It does...but I have worked out a deal with the warden. If I give him O'Connell, he will tell the Legion I'm dead."

"So what's in it for me?"

Beni smirked. He was right about Izzy, after all. He knew he was. "I was thinking something along the lines of a three-man job...split two ways."

Izzy looked confused for a moment before his face broke into a grin, and he reached over and slapped Beni on the shoulder. "Now you're talking."


	4. The Polack

**_Author's Note. _**_So Kitty is a character I've been wanting to use in fanfiction for a long time. Back when you could find a Mummy RPG that wasn't completely dead, I invented her as kind of an "eff you" to the hoards of beautiful, fiesty, brilliant, sarcastic, deadly, educated OCs. She was a gas to write, especially with Beni, and I've always wanted to put her in a story. Now I've finally found the story for her! I have changed her name slightly. In the RPG her last name was Fagan, but since that's Gretchen's last name, I feel weird having the connection. _

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Polack**

When Beni finally made it to the door of his flat, it was so late that he thought maybe, _possibly,_ she'd be in bed. She liked staying up all night and sleeping late into the morning, so if he wanted to come home to peace and quiet, he usually had to stay out all hours. He never slept well, and being awake into the wee hours was nothing new for him. If she wasn't living there, he probably still wouldn't be getting home til just now. But he hated not having the choice.

He opened the door to a lit room and groaned.

There she was, sprawled out on the bed like a poster girl in only a brazierre and underwear. She had a faded silk robe he'd stolen from somewhere draped over her shoulders. She didn't even glance up when he got in; she was too focused on the magazine in her hands. Her brow was furrowed and her big, doe-ish dark eyes were narrowed at the words. Her lips moved quietly as she read along. She reached a hand up and scratched the top of her flaxen curls, cropped just below her ears.

"What? You don't even say hello now?"

She jumped, her big eyes flashing up to him in surprise. A moment later, her pretty, girlish face broke into a grin. "Hiya, honey! I didn't see you over there. When'dja get in?"

Beni's eyebrows raised as he closed the door behind him. "Just now."

She frowned. _"Just now,_ just now?"

Beni rolled his eyes. "Kitty, I'm locking the door _right now."_

"Oh. Huh." She giggled to herself a little and put her magazine down.

He crossed the room and gave her a kiss. She grimaced at him. "You smell like a bar."

"So?"

She cocked her head to the side. "So go take a shower, silly."

Beni let out a whiny sigh. "But I am exhausted."

Kitty pouted at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh, my poor baby. It must be awful tough staying out all night drinking."

He gave her a look. "Don't make fun of me. You are no good at it."

But she only giggled. "Well,_ I_ think I'm funny."

Beni snorted. "I don't."

Kitty sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her bottom lip again. "What are you sore at me for? I didn't do nothing."

Beni glanced around the room, at the cigarette butts on the floor and the clothes strewn everywhere. "Yes, I can see that."

She watched his face a moment before jumping up. "Hey, I got somethin' to cheer you up!"

Before he could tell her the only thing that would cheer him up was sleep, she was on the floor, rifling through one of her skirts before giggling that it was the wrong one and picking up another. She dug something out and returned to where he stook next to the bed, holding up a wad of bills.

"Look it! I was at the King's Casbah tonight, and this fella, he said I had the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen, and he gave me all this."

Beni's brow furrowed in curiosity as he snatched the money out of her hand. "Was he drunk?"

"Plastered!" she giggled. "I think he wanted me to sleep with him."

He gave her a look. "Oh, you think so?"

But she didn't catch his sarcasm. She bobbled her head happily. "Yeah. But he passed out and hit the floor so hard his head cracked. There was blood all over. So while everyone was shoutin' and trying to get him up, I took some more money off the bar."

Beni's face broke into a grin as he pocketed the money. She'd gotten almost a hundred and fifty pounds off of the drunk. And all because she was an easy idiot with big bedroom eyes. She dressed like a floozy and wore too much make-up, and she was a useless roommate. She lived like a pig and couldn't cook, but men were plain foolish over her, and he liked that. Before he came along, she would've handed the money back to the unconscious sleazebag. She probably would've rode to the hospital with him, to. Now she was taking money off of the bar while no one was looking. He was almost proud.

She was watching him, a bright little smile on her face.

"Didn't I say I was gonna cheer you up?"

He tipped her chin and gave her a kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck enthusiastically, and before he really had a chance to think about it, she was pulling him down on top of her on the bed. She giggled against his lips and gave him a flirty smile.

Beni sighed. "Kitty, I am exhausted..."

Actually, he'd left Izzy to buy himself an Arab prostitute who resembled Yasmine enough to burn away the thoughts that had filled his mind during her dance, and he wasn't sure he had anything left in him. But she kept kissing his neck anyway, and before he could tell her to stop, she'd slipped her hand down his pants. She gave him a coy little pout.

"Well, baby, this won't do at all."

Beni shot her a glare. "I said I'm tired."

But she only shrugged, her mouth stretching into another pretty smile. She winked. "I know how to wake you up."

He let out a defeated sigh. She was so annoyingly persistent. He supposed that was how she ended up staying here in the first place. If it wasn't for her persistence, she probably would've been swallowed up by the world a long time ago. She was too naive for her own good - which he'd liked at first, but now he was tired of. He was sick of explaining everything to her. Stupid American Polack. And her name was Kitty! He had no idea that was even a name. Leave it to some Polacks to give their daughter a name that was every bit as stupid as she was.

She pushed him off of her gently and pulled herself up on her knees. He watched her throw off her robe before fiddling with her bra. When it finally slipped from her shoulders, he decided he might have the energy to take her after all.

Kitty leaned over and gave him a kiss. Her hand slid down his chest to his pants again, and this time she smiled.

"That's much better."

But he only frowned at her. "If you call me Jacques, I swear to God I'll knock of all your teeth out."

She bobbled her head good-naturedly. "Oh, I know, baby. But I ain't even thinkin' about him. Honest."

That was a lie. She was terrible at lying. But he didn't really care. She'd just given him a handful of money, and he wouldn't knock her teeth out, anyway. He needed her teeth. He needed her pretty, flirty smile and her empty head. In the morning, after he'd slept and he had the energy, he'd coax her into taking on her part of his plan.


	5. The Meeting

**_Author's Note. _**_This chapter mentions German Rockeweigh, who is a faceless character who also earns a mention in _Tramps and Thieves._ I see no reason to drag him into my stories, I just think it's more realistic for the characters to mention important criminals by name. Also, I think continuity between stories is fun. In _Tramps and Thieves,_ Beni has a bag of cocaine he's supposed to give to German Rockeweigh, which Gretchen steals, snorts, and consequently spends the Med-Jai attack on their camp high as a kite._

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Meeting**

"Oh, my God, Kitty, I said we would be there half an hour ago."

Beni stood in the doorway of his floor's bathroom impatiently, tapping his foot. In addition to all of her other annoying habits, Kitty had absolutely no concept of time. He wasn't even fully convinced she knew how to tell it.

Her eyes didn't waver from the mirror as she leaned a little closer and lined her lashline with a black pencil.

"Just a sec."

"You have been saying that for thirty minutes."

"Well just one more!" she said, leaning back a little to admire her eyes before pressing the pencil in a dot just above her lip. Beni let out a whining groan.

"Oh, God, would you stop that already?"

Kitty turned to flash him a little look. "It's a beauty mark. It looks refined. Everybody thinks so."

"It looks like you let a child put on your make-up."

She shrugged, reaching into her make-up bag for a tube of bright red lipstick. "Oh, what do you know about make-up, Beni?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I know when someone looks stupid."

Kitty ran her rouge over her lips and smacked them, giving herself a little smile in the mirror. Then she turned and looked at Beni, her hands on her hips.

"Well at least I don't wear the same dirty old clothes day in and day out."

Beni scoffed. "Oh, of course. I will just go out and buy ten new suits with_ all that money_ I make."

She frowned at him in confusion a moment before he let out a heavy sigh.

"It was a joke, Kitty."

"Oh!" she giggled, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek. She gasped a little at the red mark her lips left, and quickly licked her thumb to wipe it away. He glared at her in disgust and swatted away her spitty hand, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket instead. He asked her again tersely if she was ready, and she nodded. He dragged her down the hall and up the street, to the little bar he'd told Izzy to bring O'Connell to.

It was Tuesday.

He tried to ignore the anxious feeling in his gut as they slipped into the bar. Friday felt much too close, and he still had to convince O'Connell to join the job he and Izzy had planned. He scanned the bar for his companions, and spotted Izzy's dark head almost immediately. O'Connell sat next to where he leaned over the table, with a lovely Arab woman on his other side. Once they made it to the table, Beni realized who she was, and smirked.

"Yasmine. I did not recognize you with your clothes on."

O'Connell gave him a warning look._ "Beni..."_

And Kitty's eyes widened. She turned and looked at him suspiciously. "When'd you see her without her clothes on?"

Beni shrugged nonchalantly, dropping into a chair. "She is a...performer. She dances in body paint and nothing else."

Kitty cocked her head to the side and looked at Yasmine with her big, dark eyes. "No kiddin'?"

Yasmine lifted an eyebrow before turning a little glare to O'Connell. She spoke in cool, cultured English. "I thought you said he was funny."

Rick shrugged helplessly. "I think I said he talks funny."

"You wear body paint all over? _All over_, all over?" Kitty asked, staring at Yasmine.

The Arab dancer nodded, her attention still on Rick. "No, you said - "

"Doesn't it itch somethin' terrible?"

Yasmine let out an irritated sigh and gave Kitty an impatient glare. "Sometimes. Rick - "

"How long's it take to put on?"

Yasmine turned, mouth open to give her a snapping response, but Rick put his hand on her shoulder and interrupted:

"Hi. I'm Rick O'Connell."

Kitty grinned and stuck out her hand to him, and he gave it a shake. "I'm Kitty. Warszawski. It's okay if you can't say it. Sometimes I can't even spell it!"

She giggled, holding her hand out to Yasmine now. The Arab woman took it with a sigh and quickly released it.

"I am Yasmine."

"Ooh, now that's pretty." She turned and looked at Izzy, reaching over to give him a little swat on the arm. "And I already know you!"

He grinned back at her as she slipped into a seat next to Beni. "That you do, love."

She giggled again, and turned her attention back to Yasmine. "Are you's two live-ins?"

Yasmine's teeth clenched a little, and she looked up at Rick irritably. He shifted his weight and tried not to look uncomfortable as she said in a pointed tone:

"No. We're not."

Kitty smiled. "Oh, well you should be! It's a real gas, being a live-in. I mean, if you don't think it's a sin or nothin'." She leaned her head against Beni's shoulder a moment before popping up again. "Me and Beni are live-ins. It's just as fun as bein' married, I bet."

Izzy tried to pin back his snickers, eyeing Beni in amusement. "I'm sure it's_ every bit_ as fun as being married."

"You oughtta find a live-in, Izzy!" she said.

He gave her a smile and leaned a little closer to her. "Well darling, I've just been waitin' til you're available."

Kitty giggled. "Oh, you're a doll!" She leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. "Now I'd like a drink!"

She hopped to her feet and held out her hand to Beni expectantly. He looked up and tried to appear confused. "What?"

"Gimme some of that money from last night."

Beni started to protest, but she noticed a lonely man on a barstool and grinned. "Nevermind, I'll get one for free." She leaned down and gave him a kiss on top of his head before skipping up to the bar. Beni let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.

"Well she's...sweet," Rick said, watching Beni in amusement. "Where'd you find her?"

Beni shook his head, looking at him with tired eyes. "A liquor store. Do you think they would let me return her?"

"She seems perfect for you."

Beni scoffed, shooting him a look before straightening in his seat. "What if we got down to business, eh?"

Rick nodded, sitting up a little, and Izzy leaned forward. Beni glanced between the two of them, a strangely excited smile on his face.

"There is a loan shark who takes money at the Greek bakery down the street from here. He does not work for anyone."

Yasmine frowned. "Then how is he still operating?"

Beni shrugged. "He's a big Greek. And he pays for it, of course to that raghead gang. But he does not answer to anyone. It's all his money."

"What kind of money is he bringing in?" Rick asked. His face was firmly incredulous.

Beni met his eyes with a smirk. "From what I hear, a lot. He loaned my landlord enough to put bathrooms on every floor of the building."

"He charges extraordinary interest," Izzy said. "And he won't take nothin' but cash."

Rick sighed. "So you want to rob this guy?"

Beni nodded his head, he started to explain his plan, but just then Kitty dropped back into her seat, spilling a little of her drink.

"Say, do you think Mary Pickford invented the Mary Pickford?" She giggled, "I mean, do you think Mary Pickford_ the actress_ came up with Mary Pickford_ the drink_?"

Beni shot her a look. "Kitty, we're talking."

She flashed an embarrassed smile. "Oops! I'm sorry. That fella and me were just talkin' about it, and I wondered if anyone here knew - "

"I doubt it," he snapped, turning his attention quickly back to Rick. "I am thinking three men. One to handle the Greek, one to rob him, and one to pick up the money."

Rick's eyebrows rose. "And you're wanting me to handle the Greek."

Izzy's shoulders rose in a guilty shrug. "Well, you _are_ the biggest..."

Kitty glanced around the table, her jaw slack with confusion. "Wait...are we talkin' about the robbery?"

Beni slapped his forehead in exasperation and nodded. _"Yes_, Kitty, what else would we be talking about?"

"Say, did you tell 'em about that time with German Rockeweigh and the opium?"

He turned and looked at her impatiently. "Why would that even come up?"

She smiled brightly, turning her attention to the group. "Oh, it's a real swell story. You gotta hear it - "

"Some other time," he intercepted. He gave her a hard look before glancing at Rick again. "You would not be handling the Greek alone. From what I hear, he is always distracted by a nice ass."

"A real skirt-chaser," Izzy put in.

Rick leaned back in his chair. "So...what? The three-man job becomes a four-man? Um, three-man-and-a-woman...?"

"No, silly!" Kitty giggled. "It's the three of you's and me. Beni and me'll split our share, see?"

"Why her?" Yasmine's voice cut in darkly. She was unmoved from where she sat, leaned back in her chair, but her eyes were flashing a little. "Why her and not me?"

Beni frowned at her in confusion and surprise, but Kitty was quicker to open her mouth:

"Oh, I do this kinda thing all the time. I'm real good at it." She giggled to herself, "Well,_ except_ that time with German Rockeweigh - "

Beni turned and glared at her. "My God, would you give up on that? No one wants to hear that story!"

"I do," Izzy said happily, delighting in the dark look he got from Beni. "Why don't you tell it to us, dear?"

Kitty grinned, and before Beni could protest, she was diving into the tale:

"Well. Way back when we was first together, Beni stole this bag of opium balls from that joint German owns. You know the one, over by the King's Casbah? It's just kinda catty-corner from it, over by that oriental rug place - or, no, it's not a rug place anymore. It's a - "

_"Anyway,"_ Beni interrupted, tapping his foot under the table.

She giggled, swatting his arm. "Oh, yeah, anyways. So Beni stole these opium balls, and German and couple 'a guys track 'im down to this bar we're at. And they're ready to beat him senseless, so Beni tells 'em I'm knocked up, 'cause everyone knows German's a real sucker for kids. He's a family man, you know? He has like...six, or maybe eight kids, or somethin'...it's a lot of 'em, however many. So he says he'll leave us alone if Beni just gives him the opium. So he does, and then German gives us a little money for the baby 'cause he just _loves_ babies. And he says he'll buy me a drink, and we go up to the bar, and the bartender says they don't have any scotch, and I was really wantin' a scotch, so I get a little short with him. But then I feel bad, and I tell him I'm sorry, I'm just on the rag, 'cause I was - "

"And German figures out she's not pregnant and breaks my arm. The end," Beni cut in. "Can we get back to the topic?"

"You know, that's a real good story, and you just ruined it - "

"Shut up." Kitty crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at him, but he ignored her. He turned his attention to Rick.

"Are you in or out?"

O'Connell let out a sigh. "I don't know..."

"C'mon," Izzy said. "It's a good opportunity."

Rick eyed Beni a moment. "I'm just not comfortable working with him."

Izzy gave him a steady look. "Come now, mate. You'll be working with me, too. Let's let bygones be bygones and make a little money."

Rick let out a sigh, glancing between the two of them cautiously. "Alright. But_ I_ pick who does what job."

Beni frowned, meeting Izzy's eyes for a moment before finally nodding his head. "Okay."

"And," Rick said, his gaze landing on Beni. "Your girlfriend's in there with me."

Yasmine started to protest, but Beni interrupted her. "That was never up for discussion. It's Kitty or nobody."

The three of them shook hands, and then Beni sent Kitty to the bar to bum another drink off of some poor soul. When she returned with the vodka he'd asked for, his nerves started to relax with the first sip. Maybe this was going to work out after all.


	6. The Suckers

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Suckers**

Beni was just leaning back to enjoy his third drink, which he knew was just enough to make Kitty tolerable. He wanted to get rid of her. He let her do anything - or, more importantly,_ anyone_ - she pleased, hoping she might fall head first into a new infatuation. But she kept coming back to him like an enthusiastic puppy, and he kept letting her back in, if only for two reasons. Despite all of her annoying habits, she was spectacularly good at those two things, and he simply couldn't find it in his black little heart to refuse her when she came trotting up to him with a fistful of money. No matter how painfully inept she was, she was very good at getting money from men, and she was very, very generous to him. She'd hand him all the money she'd collected without a second thought; half the time, she didn't even know how much she'd gotten, or she'd even forget that she'd given it to him. And she'd keep doing it, too, as long as he wasn't too mean to her and indulged her fantasies of Jacques now and then.

Even though he kind of hated her, she was the most lucrative con he'd ever done, and he wasn't even sure how he'd managed to get her in the first place. She'd just sort of...fallen into his lap. When he'd seen her at the liquor store, in her expensive clothes, her purse swinging careless from her arm, he'd thought she'd be an easy pick. He ran into her and slipped his hand into her purse to find it empty, and she begged her pardon before launching into a long, stupid story about how he reminded her of her friend Jacques, whom she hadn't seen in days now...At the time, he'd thought she was drunk, and took her home with him because she seemed like an easy lay. And she was. Remarkably easy. So easy, he figured she was used to being booted out of men's rooms and didn't worry much over how to get rid of her.

But she didn't leave.

No matter what he tried, he couldn't shake her. She was so dumb, so naive...how hard could it be? But she stuck to him like glue, probably because the only thing she _did_ know was that she needed a man to survive in the world. At first - at _very_ first - he didn't mind. She was sweet and eager and he was amused by the way she called him "baby." His own mother hadn't even called him "baby." And she had those eyes and lips and breasts and legs that went on forever. He liked her blonde hair, even if she made a mess dyeing it every few weeks, and how she insisted on always being made up. But all of that got old very quickly. Even her enthusiasm in bed became tiresome after a while. She was too annoying the rest of the time to make it very enjoyable.

But the _money_...God, he hated women. That Polack floozy could make more batting her eyes at a drunk than Beni could with his quick fingers. And she was so perfect for it. So aggrevatingly perfect, because anyone could tell she was too stupid to be a hustler. She'd take their money and plant kisses on their lips and they never believed for a second that she'd wander off without making good on their offer. And then she'd come waltzing home, giggling like a moron, with hundreds of dollars or pounds in the pocket of her skirt, or stuffed into the cup of her brazierre. And she handed it all to Beni, because she knew it made him happy. And if he was happy, he'd put her on her back and she could pretend he was Jacques.

What an idiot.

He glared down into the clear contents of his cup and sighed darkly. There was no getting rid of her, unless Jacques returned suddenly and decided he wanted her again, which was fairly unlikely. No man in his right mind would_ want_ Kitty (for more than a night, of course), which was what Beni had been trying to tell Izzy for weeks now. Izzy thought it would be wonderful, just _wonderful_ to have the easy blonde in his bed night after night. But what did Izzy know? He couldn't even aviod getting shot in the ass.

A pair of arms wrapped around Beni's neck suddenly, disturbing him from his thoughts and his vodka. He felt her soft cheek against his, and could smell scotch on her breath when she giggled.

"C'mere. There's some folks you should meet."

He craned his neck to look at her, his eyes dark. "No."

But she met his glare with bright optimism. "They say they're lookin' for someone to take 'em to Hamunaptra."

Beni sat up a little, an ugly smirk creeping into the corner of his mouth. He nodded, and she released his neck. She took him by the hand as he stood up and pointed out a table in the back. Through the haze of cigarette smoke and dim lights, Beni could make out three men.

"See over there? The three fellas? One's a real doll, the blond - well, I bet the other's a honey without his glasses on - "

"I see them," he said, starting for the table. She hurried along behind him.

"They're Americans. And they got a ton of money."

Beni nodded, hoping she'd shut up by the time they made it to the table. She grinned triumphantly at the men and pulled Beni closer.

"This is him!" she announced, dropping into a chair. "Have a seat, baby."

He sat down slowly next to her. She pulled a cigarette out of her purse and one of the men immediately offered her a light. She gave him a dazzling smile and breathed in a drag.

"This is Beni," she said. "Beni, these are my new friends Dave, Bernard and Keat."

One of the men was eyeing Beni suspiciously. "Let's not get too familiar. I'm Daniels. This fella next to me is Burns, and the cowboy on the end is Henderson."

Burns leaned forward in interest. "So the little miss over here tells us you've been to Hamunaptra."

Beni nodded.

"You speak English?" Henderson asked around a wad of tobacco. "We met a dozen folks sayin' they can take us to Hamunaptra, but that's about the only phrase they know. And I ain't about to wander off into the desert with someone who can't speak no English."

Beni's eyebrows rose. "I speak English. And I can assure you, none of those men have actually been to Hamunaptra."

"Well how do we know you have?" Daniels demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ooh, it's a great story, Dave!" Kitty said, bouncing a little with excitement. "Tell 'em how you found Hamunaptra, baby."

Beni shot her a little look, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly. "I was in the French Foreign Legion. We marched out there to find the city. And my whole garrison was killed by Tauregs."

Daniels' eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How'd you make it out?"

"I hid in one of the ruins."

Daniels scoffed, looking over at his friends. "Well, don't that figure."

"What'd you do to get in the Legion?" Burns asked.

Beni looked at him in surprise, but answered after a moment. "I stole."

"And there's another shock," Daniels said darkly.

Beni met his eyes with an even glare. "What business is it of yours if I was a thief? If you want an honest man to take you to Hamunaptra, you will not find him. But I know how to get there."

Daniels leaned over the table a little. "It's not that you _were_ a thief, it's that you_ are_ a thief. I can practically smell it on you."

Beni gave him a sarcastic smile and started to get up from his chair. "Good luck finding a guide to Hamunaptra - "

"Wait," Burns said. He held up his hand, and his eyes turned to Daniels as soon as Beni lowered himself back into his seat. "Look, he's actually been there. And he's got the only believable story I've heard all day."

Daniels eyed Beni. "That's 'cause he knows how to tell a story."

"It's because it is true," Beni retorted.

Burns took a breath, looking between the two men. "He speaks English - pretty well, even. And there's three of us to one of him."

"What's your idea?" Henderson asked, shrugging when Daniels shot him a look.

Burns turned to look at Beni. "If you really know how to get there, than you won't object at all to being paid half upfront, and half afterwards, will you?"

Beni's expression soured a little, and he wanted to glare at Kitty, just so she _might_ know how irritated he was with her. But he kept his eyes steady on the other man and nodded his head.

"That would be fine."

Burns smiled triumphantly, turning to look at Daniels. After a moment, he nodded his head, too.

"Alright. That sounds fair."

Burns reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet, starting to thumb through a stack of hundred-dollar bills. Beni's eyes widened, and he couldn't help licking his lips.

"How's five hundred now, the rest later sound?"

Beni nodded eagerly, but Daniels reached over and stopped Burn's hands on the money.

"He gets it on the barge. Once we're sailing."

Beni wanted to groan, watching longingly as Burns put his wallet away.

"We leave Friday. Eight sharp," Burns said, sticking out his hand. Beni took it and gave it a shake, trying to hide his distaste. He put a hand on Kitty's shoulder and dragged her along with him as he left. Once they were out of earshot, he leaned in to her ear:

"What is wrong with you?"

She gaped at him in confusion. "What?"

"Now I have to go all the way out there!"

"So?" she said. "You know how - "

Beni fought the urge to hit her across the face. "Of course I do! But I don't want to go."

Kitty shrugged helplessly. "Well how was I supposed to know they'd make you go out there?"

He groaned, glaring at the floor. He could feel her wide eyes watching him.

"It's a thousand bucks," she reminded with a smile. "No one's ever even offered that much before."

Beni looked at her, his face perfectly pitiful. Her expression changed to exaggerated sympathy, and she reached a hand up to his face.

"Oh, honey, don'tcha worry about anything. You'll get back here and have a thousand bucks, just think!"

He let out a sigh. Despite himself, he was brightening at the thought of all that money. She leaned in a little closer, and giggled in his ear.

"Let me get you back home, and I can do something to change your mood."

Beni had had three drinks. And he was willing to let her.


	7. The Woman

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Woman**

Izzy awoke to the sound of furious knocking on his door. He let out a groan and reached for the pocket watch he_ thought_ he had left on his bedside table, but he couldn't seem to find it in the midst of the other trinkets and junk there. His hand collided with a flask, and he took a grateful swig just as his visitor started shouting his name. His brow furrowed in confusion. Izzy didn't get many visitors, specifically because he did his best to keep his place of residence a secret. There just happened to be too many angry poker players in the world, and he was regrettably easy to track, between his dark skin and strange accent.

So the voice was quite a surprise, given that only a handful of people even knew where he lived, and most of them were men. The voice was distinctly female, and familiar.

He yelled something about getting to the door in his raspy, sleep-marred voice and pulled himself up off of the bed. A horrible pain soared all down his leg, starting at his wound. He bit down on his lip and took another swig from the flask. He could certainly use Beni's stolen balls of opium _now_.

Izzy staggered across the room to his door and unlocked it, meeting the woman's fierce gaze with bleary eyes.

"Yasmine," he grunted. His breath tasted sour in his mouth. He cracked a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She stood there, dressed like any other Muslim woman in long robes with her hair covered. But she was far from demure and quiet. She pushed past him and slammed the door shut. She paced around the room for a minute before realizing the only place to sit was his bed. She shot him a look of disgust and came to a halt, folding her arms over her chest.

"Rick has ended us."

Izzy stared at her in confusion for a moment before he realized what she meant. He tried to keep a sneer from crawling up the sides of his face.

"Oh?"

Her eyes widened, and she gave him a hard slap on his arm. "Don't look so surprised, you idiot! You knew all along, didn't you?"

Izzy rubbed his arm and shot her a look. "What? Of course I didn't know -"

"It's over that stupid blonde, isn't it?" she said, ignoring him.

He gaped at her for a moment, his sleepy mind trying to make the connections between her words. She was talking much too fast, and he'd only just woke up -

"Who?" he asked.

Yasmine hit him again. "That blonde! From last night. The one who couldn't shut up. She lives with that vile little fellow..."

"Kitty?" Izzy scoffed. He couldn't help laughing at the suggestion. "I mean, I suppose it's possible..."

She rolled her eyes obviously. "Oh, you _suppose_ so?"

He shook his head. Between her loud, urgent tone and his hangover and the terrible aching in his ass, he was having trouble focusing on anything.

"Listen, deary," he said slowly. "I don't know why O'Connell broke it off with you. And I didn't know it was about to happen. As far as I know, Kitty's still tucked away with Beni, so if you'd do me a favor and stop assuming this is all some grand conspiracy that I'm in on, I'd appreciate it."

Yasmine breathed a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping. "I'm...sorry. I'm just very angry."

Izzy scoffed. "Yes, I can see that."

His glance shifted to the flask in his hand, and he cautiously extended it to her. "Have a drink, eh?"

With a shrug, she took it from him and knocked back a swig. "Who does he think he is, breaking up with me?"

Izzy nodded his head because he was afraid she might hit him again if he said the wrong thing. "Some nerve, I tell you."

Yasmine's eyes widened, and she nodded, too. "Yes! He does have some nerve. After all I've given him..."

Izzy frowned thoughtfully, and he couldn't resist the question. "What have you given him, there?"

She glanced down at her feet. "Well, I was...I was a virgin when I met him."

Izzy's jaw dropped, and before he could think to stop himself, he was cackling. "You're joking!"

He indulged a good, hearty laugh - cut short much too soon by a hard slap across his face. Yasmine offered him a sarcastic smile and tipped back a little more from the flask. She choked a little on her gulp, and sputtered for her breath, her eyes watering. When she looked at him again, she didn't seem quite so sober.

"If he thinks he can get me back, he how does it go? Another thing...It's coming?"

"He has another thing coming," Izzy supplied, reaching tentatively for the flask. She swatted his hand away and took another gulp.

"Oh, no," she went on. "Yasmine does not crawl back to men like a dog. They crawl back to her, and she sends them away."

Izzy looked at her apprehensively, reaching for the flask again. "I think you've had enough."

She shook her head. "No!"

"You're talking about yourself like you're Napoleon, love."

Yasmine's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before she shrugged and took another swig.

"Let me tell you something," she said with a wicked smile. "I will get him back. You just watch."

Izzy shivered a little, and found himself grateful not to be on her bad side. He watched her tip back the rest of the contents of the flask and frown, tossing it on the floor. She stared at the flask for the moment before her face became very sad, and the next thing Izzy knew, she was gasping back a sob.

"Oh, who will marry me now? He's ruined me!"

Izzy swallowed hard, taking a step back from her. He was thinking to himself that dating O'Connell hadn't ruined her, but dancing around in nothing but body paint probably had. He wasn't about to enlighten her on that point, though. He started to inch towards the door, his mind racing for some way to shoo her out of here.

And then, suddenly, her bewitching almond-shaped eyes were on him. Suddenly, she was sauntering towards him with her fluid steps, a dangerous smirk in the corner of her mouth. He was sort of afraid of her, but the way she swung her hips distracted him from his apprehension.

"You would help me get revenge on him, wouldn't you, Izzy?" she asked.

He swallowed hard, and nodded because he didn't want her mood to shift to something crazy. Or, well...crazier.

She smiled now, reaching a hand up to the side of his face. "Good."

She took another few steps, and then she was right next to him, so close that her body brushed him when she breathed. She wrapped her arm around his neck, and Izzy grinned. Her certainly hadn't forgotten what a lovely figure she had.

Even if she was insane.

"I might...be involved in a little scheme that would interest you," he said. As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth and he saw the glint in her eye, he started to wince. Oh, bloody hell, what had he done? What had he -

She silenced him with a kiss before giving him a little nod. "Oh, yes. I would be_ very_ interested in your scheme."


	8. The Twist

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Twist**

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I don't know! I'm sorry!"

Beni desperately wanted to wrap his hands around Izzy's scrawny little neck. He lunged at the other man, but Izzy hobbled a side-step and Beni nearly crashed into his own bed. With an irritated grunt, he whirled around to glare at his partner in crime.

"Mad as a hatter, she is," Izzy said quickly, shifting his weight nervously and keeping a suspicious eye on Beni. "Once the words were out I couldn't very well tell her no - "

"Of course you could," Beni spat. "She is just a woman. She would get over it."

Izzy snorted. "Oh, _yes,_ of course. _Or,_ she'd go off and spill it all to O'Connell just to spite us."

Beni opened his mouth to retort, but quickly shut it as Izzy's words sank in. He was right. Now that the idiot had stupidly told Yasmine about their plan, there was no cutting her out. If she was truly as crazy as Izzy said she was, they couldn't risk upsetting her.

Of course, Izzy shouldn't have risked their plan in the first place by _telling her,_ but there wasn't much Beni could do about that now.

He reached over and gave the other man a hard smack upside his head. Izzy let out a yelp and and rubbed the spot, frowning indignantly. Beni met his gaze evenly. This was all Izzy's fault and he knew it; he could deal with a little pain for all the trouble he'd just caused Beni. Goddamn Yasmine. Of all the useless people to include in their plot...It was bad enough having to use Kitty...

As if on cue, the door burst open and Kitty skipped in, singing to herself in her off-key falsetto. Beni let out a groan, turning to look at her.

"Stop that," he said.

She giggled and skipped over to him, taking his face in both of her hands and planting a kiss on his lips. "Well that's a fine how-do-ya-do. Hey, Izzy!"

She turned and gaze him a peck on his lips as well. Beni shot her a look.

"Don't kiss him. He is an idiot."

Kitty shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I can't help it. He's such a doll and he's got those big ol' lips - "

"Oh, come now, darling," Izzy said with a grin, slinging his arm over her shoulders. "You're liable to make me blush!"

She found this incredibly funny, and kept laughing much longer than Beni had the patience for. He rolled his eyes and slumped onto the bed. He could feel Kitty's wide, dark eyes watching him with amused sympathy, and before he could tell her he actually didn't care who she kissed, she dropped into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh, now don't be jealous, baby," she said. "You know you're the only one for me!"

Beni's groan was silenced by her deep kiss. She started to slide a hand down his chest, but he quickly stopped it once it reached his belt.

"Stop it," he said, pushing her off of his lap. She frowned at him, keeping her legs stubbornly slung over his even though he'd managed to knock her onto the bed.

"What're you so sore about?" she asked.

Beni jerked his head at Izzy. "Why don't you ask your good friend here."

Kitty flashed Izzy a grin. "Ah, now, honey. I know he couldn'ta done anything to put you in such a mood."

"Well he did."

Izzy sighed heavily. "I said I'm sorry, haven't I? And really, if you'd stop moping about like you've got no one to take you to the dance, you might see some advantages in having her around."

Beni glared at him. "She is a risk. What if Rick decides he wants her tomorrow? Then we are finished."

He shrugged. "We only have to make it to tomorrow, remember?"

Beni hid a wince. Izzy was right. Today was Wednesday, and tomorrow was when the whole plan fell into motion. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling an ache starting just behind his eyes. There was so much to do...

"Are you's guys talkin' about me?"

Kitty's idiot voice broke his concentration. He shot her a look and told her tersely, "No. Izzy told O'Connell's stupid girlfriend about our plan."

"He broke up with her," Izzy said quickly when Kitty's eye widened at him. "She's in an awfully foul mood over him."

Kitty let out a dreamy sigh, her eyes turning to gaze out the window. "I bet she's sick over it. He's some kind of man..."

Beni rolled his eyes. "He is not so great."

She giggled. "Now you _really_ sound jealous!"

Beni's eyebrows rose incredulously. "I am not jealous of O'Connell. He is going to prison in Algeria, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," she said, her voice perking with realization. Her pretty face spread into a guilty smile. "I'll have to give him a _real_ good send-off, then."

Generally, Beni didn't mind Kitty ogling other men. It gave him hopes of one day escaping her. But he was annoyed over her stupid, flirty comments about O'Connell. That American oaf could have any woman he wanted; did the one woman that Beni had really have to make it so obvious that he could have her, too? And, anyway, since when did she like big, brawny Americans? She always said she liked "slender and refined" Europeans. With moustaches.

"You won't have a chance," he said darkly. "You are luring him into a room with the police."

She let out a wistful sigh and pouted, her eyes drifting off to the window again.

"O'Connell is not so great," Beni said again, surprised by his own bitterness. "I have had two of his women and they both liked me better."

Izzy couldn't contain a chuckle, and Kitty turned her bright, amused gaze to him.

"Of course you have," Izzy said sarcastically, giving him a cruel grin.

Beni's eyes narrowed. "I have. One was a_ very_ rich brunette," he said pointedly, shooting Kitty a glare. She frowned at him.

"Oh, phooey on brunettes," she said, slipping her legs off of his lap. "They're a dime a dozen."

Beni snorted. "Oh, really? And what color would your hair be if you did not dye it?"

Kitty let out a scandalized gasp. "Beni, how could you! That is a lady's secret, and you told!"

"You call that a secret? There are bleach spots all over my floor."

She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at him, staring angrily at the wall. Beni did his best to ignore Izzy's smug amusement. For some reason, the bastard loved seeing him suffer.

"So about Yasmine," Izzy said cheerily. Beni shot him a look, but Izzy met his eyes evenly.

"Oh, what about her?" Beni spat irritably.

Izzy smiled, glancing between Kitty, trying her best to look like she was still angrily pouting while listening in, and Beni, too exasperated to care. Izzy's eyes glinted, and he lowered his voice a little.

"I have an idea."


	9. The Job

**_Author's Note. _**_Oh, my goodness, it's been an eternity. I don't know why I haven't updated this; I think I legitimately forgot what Izzy's idea for Yasmine was, and I think I've finally either remembered what my original plan was, or came up with something new. Either way, we have an update, people!_

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Job**

The name of the Greek loan shark was Konstantinos, but as far as anyone knew, he just went by Tino. He was a baker by trade, though most everyone said he had a real talent for butchery, and if you happened to have a newly slaughtered lamb on your hands, he was the man for the job. As a rule, Beni Gabor didn't trust butchers. As far as he was concerned, there just had to be something wrong with somebody who was _good_ at hacking through bones and joints and ripping skin from flesh - even if it was only on a dead animal, and even if it did result in some of the most delicious cuts of meat he'd ever gotten his grimy little hands on.

Beni had never stolen from Tino before because he wasn't crazy; when it came to stealing food, his best bet was always to swindle the kind of people who would empathize with his lowly existence and excuse his thievery because, _certainly,_ he didn't know any better. The thought of such people brought a grim smirk to Beni's face...but Tino was no such person. Tino chopped up fuzzy little lambs as a pasttime, and Beni didn't like to think about what Tino would do to someone like him, who was, admittedly, less endearing than a lamb.

He snuck around to the back of the bakery and leaned against the wall. On the one hand, he was irritated that O'Connell had stuck him with arguably the most risky part of their job; on the other hand, he wasn't sure he trusted Izzy to be competent with such a task. And anyway, the joke was on all of them if they didn't think Beni would sneak a sizable chunk of cash for himself. No matter how delicate the situation, there was_ always_ time for that.

The back door the bakery was locked steadfast with a deadbolt, and so Beni sat on the stoop and waited for O'Connell and Kitty to handle the Greek and let him inside. Beni suddenly experienced a sinking feeling in his gut, and he reached up to grasp the many religious pendants that dangled from his neck. His master plan was now in the hands of the two dumbest Americans he knew, and he just had to hope they wouldn't muck it up through sheer incompetence. Big, obnoxious, American incompetence...

The two Americans Beni was praying might grow half a brain between them were just then walking into the front of the bakery. O'Connell held open the door for Kitty and she gave him a dazzling smile.

"Look at you, the gentleman!" she giggled, prancing into the bakery and taking a deep breath. She let out a dramatic moan as she released the sigh, and O'Connell couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "God, it smells good in here, don't it?"

"Well, thank you. Welcome to Tino's."

She glanced up and pretended to be surprised to see Tino, who was a lug of a man if O'Connell had ever known one. He didn't look particularly fit, with his big belly and jowls, and he was at least six inches shorter than Rick, but he had arms like oak trees: big, hairy oak trees that must have scared the piss out of Beni and Izzy, the first time they saw the man. But Tino wasn't trying to scare anybody just then.

He was lumbering out from behind the counter and offering Kitty one of his big, bear paw hands for her to shake. And she was giggling and taking his hand as if she was positively delighted to lay eyes on his gold-tooth-speckled smile and leering eyes and greasy, balding head.

"You mean this place is _yours?"_ she said with such childlike wonder that O'Connell thought she genuinely didn't know.

Tino nodded his big head and smiled some more.

"Look at you, like a little china doll. You want some baklava, sweetheart?"

He spoke with a cautious, accented precision that either came from an uncertainty with English or a sentiment that ladies love accents, and Kitty was poised to indulge either. She bit her lip and stared at him in confusion.

"What's baklava?"

Tino let out a laugh that filled the room, and he offered her one of his tree trunk arms.

"Oh, now sweety, today is your lucky day! Never had a piece of baklava, she says. And that must be changed. You never had Greek before?"

She gave him a little wink. "Oh, I had plenty 'a Greeks." Her face broke into a grin, and she giggled ridiculously to herself. "Do I_ love_ Greeks! They're so dark and handsome - and hairy, too! Call me simple, but I don't have no use for a man who doesn't have a little hair on his chest, you know what I mean?"

Tino stopped and stared at her, his mouth gaping for much too long. He eyed her up and down and a greasy smile found its way into the corners of his mouth. Rick thought he looked like a big, fat rat, but Kitty didn't seem repulsed by him at all. She giggled again and leaned closer, and if Rick hadn't been listening, he probably wouldn't have heard her ask:

"Say, you got a back room in this place? I ain't had Greek in a _loong_ time, and I'm suddenly in the mood."

Tino's beady black eyes flittled to O'Connell for only a moment before returning to Kitty.

"It's gonna be about ten minutes, pal."

Kitty giggled again, bobbing happily beside him as he led her behind the counter. O'Connell took a deep breath and waited for them to slip down the back hallway before pulling his gun from its holster. He waited another moment, and then sneaked after them. The hallway was dark and narrow, and let onto a kitchen to his left and an office to his right. Tino was just starting to close the door to the office behind him, and O'Connell cocked his gun.

"Not so fast,_ pal_."

Tino was so confused by the sound of his voice that Rick had just enough time to stride down the hall and knock open the door before Tino could slam it shut. The big Greek held up his hands in surrender for only a moment, until he noticed Rick eyeing Kitty, her blouse inexplicably open already.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She shrugged, starting to rebutton her blouse.

Tino's eyes narrowed in anger. "You two were in on this together?" he demanded in his big, thundering voice.

Rick gave him a sarcastic smile before glancing at Kitty again. "Go let Beni in."

She nodded and rushed out of the room, and Rick found himself staring directly into Tino's dark, rage-filled eyes.

"So you think you can steal from Tino, eh?" he said. He thumped his chest with his big fist. "Go on, cowboy. Shoot. See where it gets you. It will take more than a little bullet to get through old Tino."

Rick was ready to call the man's bluff and fire, but Tino came at him with surprising speed and knocked him on his back. Rick scrambled to his feet before the lug could pin him to the floor and took a deep breath.

"Well, this just got interesting."

"Fight me like a man!" Tino bellowed, raising his enormous fists. Rick didn't spare a second. He threw a hard punch right to Tino's gut, but the man barely moved. He let out a dark laugh and gave Rick a shove that sent him right into the wall. His back connected with a loud crack, and for a second he couldn't get his breath.

"You can't beat Tino," the Greek said. "I chop up little goats like you and feed them to my dogs."

In his entire life, Rick had never before been called "little" (or a goat, for that matter), and he was starting to think he might be in over his head. But he didn't have much of a chance to consider that, because Tino came lumbering towards him with a murderous glint in his eye. Rick hadn't fought many men who were both bigger and taller than him, but he'd fought a number who, like Tino, outweighed him considerably. And if there was one thing he'd learned from those kind of brutes, it was that he really only had to be faster than them. Rick took a breath and centered himself. Tino was much shorter and older than he was. And Rick could beat him.

As he dodged Tino's first punch and landed a second in the man's face, Rick was only vaguely aware of the voices from the hallway.

"That took long enough," Beni muttered as he followed Kitty down the hall.

"It wasn't so long," she retorted, stopping in her tracks. She jerked her thumb in the direction of Tino's office. "Rick's got him at gunpoint. Shouldn't be no trouble at all."

Something loud crashed to the floor, followed by a string of Greek curses. Beni raised a skeptic eyebrow.

"That sounds like trouble."

He paused a moment, glancing back in the direction he'd come. He wasn't so sure about walking into a fight.

"What're you waitin' for?" Kitty asked. Another crash made them both jump, and they glanced at each other nervously. Beni took a step backwards. If he had to, he'd leave them. He'd leave them both -

But Rick's voice interrupted his quickly-constructing Plan B. "So is somebody going to come open this case or what?"

Beni's face split into a greasy grin. He was so pleased he leaned over and gave Kitty a kiss before shoving her back towards the door and telling her to make sure Izzy was ready.

When he waltzed into the office, he found Rick hurriedly tying Tino's hands behind his back where he laid unconscious on the floor. He jerked his head at the safe in the corner.

"You better work fast," Rick said. "I don't know how long he'll be out for."

Beni didn't need any coaxing. He scurried over to the safe and leaned an ear against the door as he gently twisted the dial. He heard the first click, and then the next, and finally the last. The safe opened and he stuffed as many bills and gold coins as he could manage into his bag. His greedy eyes scanned the office for more to take, but Rick was grabbing his arm.

"Hey, he's waking up!"

The two men hurried down the hallway towards the back entrance, and Beni handed the bag off to Kitty's waiting hands. The three of them shared one glance before starting off in different directions. Beni saw Kitty pass the bag off to Izzy before taking a turn down an alleyway.

Tino would go to the police, or perhaps someone else, or try to take care of it himself. He knew what O'Connell and Kitty and possibly even Beni looked like, and it wouldn't take him long to track them down, probably. But his money was with Izzy, and no descriptions of a brawny, handsome American or a trampy little blonde or a snivelling weasel of a thief would lead him to the fortune he'd just lost.


	10. The Decoy

**_Author's Note. _**_Well, I've gotten a sudden hankering to write this story, and it's so close to the end that it almost bums me out. Maybe this is a sign I should write more comedy and less angst-ridden drama. Maaaaybe._

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Decoy**

Beni took a final glance around the bar before cautiously settling himself on a barstool. It had been hours since the job had taken place; hours since he'd seen any signs of O'Connell or Kitty or Izzy. He'd had a few near run-ins with the police, but thusfar none of them seemed particularly interested in him. Even if Tino hadn't gone to the police with his description (if he even had his description; the man had been unconscious during most of Beni's time in his office) - even if the Greek was determined to settle the matter without the police, Beni was wanted for enough other crimes that he just avoided policemen as a matter of principle.

He ordered a vodka and tapped his foot impatiently as the barkeep fumbled around a dozen dusty bottles in search of the stuff. He'd come to expect that, living in British territory; there weren't many Eastern Europeans in Egypt, and half the bars and casbahs in Cairo didn't even keep vodka. The Brits didn't share his ferver for the Russian staple, and Beni generally counted it as yet another reason to hate the British on the whole.

The bartender finally managed to pour something clear into a glass and set it before Beni. He eyed it suspiciously before picking it up.

"If this is gin, I am not paying for it. Listen to my accent. You know I can tell the difference."

The bartender wasn't listening to him at all, but someone else was.

"I say, is that vodka you have there?"

Beni groaned, barely glancing at the drunken idiot who'd suddenly appeared at his side. "We'll see," he muttered before raising the glass to his lips and taking a tentative sip. He was surprised and a little disappointed to discover that it was, in fact, vodka. He would have liked to have gotten away with a free glass of gin instead.

"I knew a chap back at Cambridge who was positively_ mad_ for vodka," the stranger went on.

Beni wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but when he took a second look at his unwanted companion, his fingers started to itch. The British drunk, though a little disheveled for the time of day, was dressed in a linen suit clearly tailored for him, and the wallet carefully tucked in his carelessly hanging suit jacket promised a fortune Beni certainly couldn't resist.

"Said he was the cousin of the czar or some blather," the Brit continued. "I think it was a load of pigswallow myself. Something he just told us because he was a Russian and we daft poms had no choice but to believe. It was the polite thing to do, really. Half of us couldn't pronounce his name. I suppose you're Russian."

Beni snorted. "Sure."

The man leaned back a little, his eyebrows raising in an exaggerated expression. "Really! Marxist and all, are you, chap? A communist?"

Beni glanced around the bar suspiciously, and the man followed his glance in confusion. Then Beni motioned the man closer.

"I am the czar himself," Beni said, the most earnest look he could fake in his wide, pitiful eyes.

The Brit gasped in his emphatic, drunken way. "No! Nick Romanov himself?"

Beni shushed him, glancing about the bar again. If he could get this idiot to lean a little closer again, he might have his hands on that wallet...

"An escaped monarch. What a story! The name's Jonathan Carnahan," the drunk said, extending his hand. Beni gave it a solemn shake, sneaking the other in to Jonathan's suit jacket. "Whatever happened to your glorious moustache?"

Beni's fingers were about to close on the wallet when a slender hand gripped hard into his shoulder. He whirled around irritably to meet Yasmine's feline glare.

"The police are here, waiting in the back room like you wanted. Where is Rick?"

Beni wanted to roll his eyes at her. "How should I know - "

"I said, whatever happened to your glorious moustache, Nick?" Jonathan said loudly, pulling on his other shoulder. "May I call you Nick?"

Beni could feel Yasmine eyeing him curiously, but he ignored her and gave Jonathan a dismissive nod. He was about to turn and tell Yasmine she needed to find some other place to have a drink, but he was interrupted_ again_, this time by Izzy.

"Seems it's going off without a hitch," Izzy declared happily, slapping Beni on the shoulder. Beni had had about enough of people touching him. He shot Izzy a dark glare.

"It will as long as your friend here is not hanging around," Beni retorted, jerking his head in Yasmine's direction. Her eyes narrowed, and she called him a jackal-faced pig in Arabic. Beni was pleased to inform her that her mother was a jackal-faced pig in the same language, much to her irritated surprise. She gave him a final glare and stomped off, and not a moment too soon, because -

"Bloody sorry to hear about your wife and daughters and all that," Jonathan said, his jacket and wallet leaning tantalizingly close to Beni again. His brow furrowed in perplexion. "Did you have a son as well, Nick? I'm afraid I can't recall - "

"Nick?"

Because O'Connell just strode up to the bar beside them, looking at Beni skeptically. Jonathan jabbed him in the ribs.

"Ah, my good son. So you're acquainted with the czar as well, I see."

Rick raised an incredulous brow, but nodded. "Uh-huh." He clapped Beni on the shoulder. "The 'czar' and I go _way_ back." His grip tightened painfully, causing Beni to wince, and Rick leaned in to whisper. "Aren't you a little young to be playing the czar there, buddy?"

Beni scoffed in spite of the pain in his shoulder. "Oh, like_ he_ knows the goddamn difference."

O'Connell glanced at the British drunk again and shrugged, releasing Jonathan's shoulder. Jonathan was starting to ask yet another question of the deceased Nicholas II, but Rick stepped between him and Beni easily and ordered himself a drink. Beni just barely heard Jonathan mutter something to himself about the "bloody rudeness of Americans" before a set of thin arms wrapped about his neck and his nostrils filled with the heavy, sickening odor of cheap perfume.

"Here I am!" Kitty declared, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "And you'll never guess where me and Izzy stashed the dough. You'll just _never_ guess - "

"I'm not going to guess," Beni muttered under his breath, giving her a hard look. "You are going to shut up right now, and tell me about it later."

She pouted at him, but he didn't pay her any attention. He met her eyes and _prayed_ she understood that she was getting the signal to start sweet-talking O'Connell. Then he pulled himself off of the barstool and said something about having to take a piss. Kitty smiled as he walked away, but let out a heavy sigh as soon as he was out of earshot. She turned her attention to Rick, and for the first time, she looked less than delightfully confused about everything to him.

"My _gawd_, he's a sonuvabitch," she said, not quite looking at Rick. She caught the bartender's eye and ordered a drink.

O'Connell watched her with interest. He waited until she had taken a sip of her drink to ask:

"So what're you wasting your time with him for?"

Kitty shrugged. She took another little sip and glanced at her hands before saying quietly. " 'Cause he can't break my heart." She sighed. "Ugly fella like that, he's just keepin' me around til _I_ decide to leave. He'll never find nothin' better, and he knows it. So it's all up to me. And he can't break my heart that way."

Rick stared at her for a moment, surprised by this sudden revelation of depth in her bouncing, blonde facade. He took a drink, and when he turned to look at her again, he found she'd been watching him. He stared into her warm, dark eyes and watched her suck in a little breath between her pretty lips.

"He ain't like you," she said, even more quietly now. "Sweet, handsome fella like you. Look at you. You're a heartbreaker. I can tell it."

Rick's throat suddenly felt very dry, and before he could really think about what he was doing, he felt her soft lips on his. She was starting to wrap her arms around his neck, starting to kiss him more deeply, but that idiot Englishman's voice cut in.

"I say, what happened to our friend the czar?" he asked, appearing genuinely perplexed as he glanced all about the bar.

Kitty gave Rick a sad smile, her gaze meandering away from his to look Jonathan in the eye.

"That wasn't the czar, baby. That was Rasputin."

She slipped her hand into Rick's and nodded suggestively toward the back of the bar, where the owner was known to keep a few spare rooms for rent by the hour. Rick followed behind her, only vaguely reluctant. He wasn't the type of man to go around sleeping with someone else's girl... But Kitty kept glancing back at him with her shy, dark eyes, and her smile was positively dazzling under all that make-up.

She sauntered over to the very first door, and let him open it for her. From across the room, Beni watched them both go in, and held his breath.

He could barely hear the commotion in the room over the general noise of the bar, but moments later, he watched six or seven policemen drag O'Connell out of the room, through the bar, and out the door. He started to take a sip of his drink, but Izzy nudged him, causing him to spill what was left of his vodka on the floor. He shot a glare up at the man, but Izzy's face was spread with too much relieved amusement to be daunted.

"Without a hitch, eh?"

Beni shrugged, an apprehensive feeling still twisting in his stomach. He wasn't sure why he was still feeling nervous. He thrust his hand into his pocket in search of a cigarette, and breathed more than a few choice Hungarian curses when he noticed half his cash was missing. That hustling British bastard! But he didn't have more than a moment to dwell on that. Another hand landed on his (rather sore) shoulders, and he let out a yelp.

"There you are! I been lookin' all over for you."


	11. The Thief

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Thief**

Beni turned reluctantly to look this voice in the eye. He nearly groaned to see Daniels' irritable smirk, but forced his best grin instead.

"Mr. Daniels, what a pleasure - "

"Can it, Gabor," he cut in. "I ain't here to chat. I wanted to let you know, it turns out our egyptologist is a little tied up with somethin' or other, and we're gonna have to leave on Saturday, 'stead 'a tomorrow. Boat leaves at _eleven o'clock_, you got that?"

Beni bobbled his head and waited until Daniels had sauntered off to roll his eyes. He could feel Izzy looking at him curiously, but he was in no mood to talk about Daniels and his cowboy entourage, and he didn't owe an idiot like Izzy an explanation, anyway. He settled himself back into his seat more comfortably, and lifted his glass to take a sip of vodka before remembering that he'd spilled it all on the floor a moment again. He glared at the glass and set it back down on the table.

"So...what's next, mate?"

Beni glanced at Izzy and shrugged. "We go and split the money."

"Right now? Or would you like to await your lady fair?"

Beni rolled his eyes. "We can go now. She knows her way home."

He stood up, Izzy hobbling beside him, but he only made it a few steps towards the door before Jonathan appeared out of nowhere and slung an arm across his shoulders.

"There you are, ol' chap!"

Beni quickly twisted out from under his arm. "Hey, you are not about to take another cent off me!" he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Jonathan.

The Englishman let out a cheerful (but slightly nervous) laugh. "Now, why would I take anything from my good friend the czar? I mean former-czar, of course. Dreadfully sorry for your bad luck in that department - "

"I am not the czar, you idiot," Beni retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am a poor, hungry thief, and you stole my hard-earned money!"

Jonathan shook his head airily. "I haven't any idea what you're talking about, my good son. Yes, I'll admit I've picked my fair share of pockets tonight, but I didn't lay a hand on yours. Your friend the American, on the other hand - "

Beni had had about enough of this Brit who had no business stealing from anyone, since he'd clearly never spent a night of his life sleeping on a doorstep...unless, of course, he'd passed out there like the drunken moron he was. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife, raising it just high enough for Jonathan to see it without calling too much attention to himself in the crowded bar.

"You are a liar and I will slit your throat!"

Jonathan quickly held up his hands in defeat, and Izzy's eyes flitted about the bar nervously. They made their loud, hurried protests at the same time, their words running over each other in an English mangle that Beni had trouble deciphering:

"Oh, now there's no call for that, my good son - "

"Would you calm yourself there, mate? We've got a plentiful sum waiting just down the street - "

Beni gave them both a hard glare and shoved the knife back into his pocket. He shook his finger right in Jonathan's face. "You are lucky I just became a rich man tonight."

He pushed past the Englishman and walked to the door, Izzy scurrying along behind him. He flung the door open irritably and stomped out into the night air, nearly running right into a uniformed man.

"Ah, Beni Gabor. What timing."

Beni recognized the man as one of Gad's cronies, and let out a whine of exasperation.

"Oh, come on!"

"Warden Hassan has something he would like to discuss with you."

Beni crossed his arms and glared at the man darkly. "Tell him I'll come by when I feel like it."

"He said if you made some kind of stupid excuse to put you under arrest." He pulled out a set of cuffs and shrugged. "Your choice."

Beni sighed and turned his attention to Izzy. "You go back to the bar and wait for me."

Izzy shrugged. "You know, Kitty and I could divvy it up ourselves - "

Beni let out an incredulous snort. "Is that a joke? This was all my plan. You cannot even 'divvy' if not for me. Okay?_ I_ divvy!"

Izzy raised an eyebrow curiously. "You're not one-hundred percent on what divvy means, are you?"

Beni gave him a hard look and followed Gad's crony down the street. He gave Izzy a final warning over his shoulder, and then crossed his arms over his chest, walking dismally towards the prison. It was only about a five-minute walk from the bar - a convenience Beni had ensured so that O'Connell could be dumped promptly in his waiting prison cell. Before he knew it, Beni was being escorted down the poorly-lit hall to Gad's office, and offered a seat on one of his mismatched chairs.

In the other chair sat a big brute of a Greek baker, and Beni let out a yelp at the mere sight of the man. He eyed Tino warily, but the Greek didn't seem to recognize him as he gave him a bored glance before returning his attention to Gad.

"So what does this runt of a man have to do with my problem?"

Beni let out a relieved sigh. So Tino _hadn't_ woken up in time to see him.

Gad pretended to ignore Tino's question and took a drag from his cigar. He watched Beni with hard, distrustful little eyes.

"Beni, this is Mr. Konstantinos Antonopoulos. His bakery was robbed today."

Beni turned a pitying gaze to the big Greek. "I am very sorry to hear that."

Tino grunted.

Gad went on, "He says he was robbed by two Americans, a big, muscular man and a floozy blonde. You would not happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Beni shook his head. The warden sucked in a little breath, glancing between the two men. A wide, yellow grin spread across his face, and he politely asked Tino to step out of the room for a moment. The chair creaked as Tino got to his feet, and Beni imagined that the floor trembled beneath him as he lumbered across the room, breathing Greek curses under his breath. Gad waited until the door had closed behind him before turning a set of flashing eyes to Beni.

"You! I have a mind to hang you from my gallows, right now!"

Beni's brow furrowed. "What are you so excited about?"

Gad came around his desk and stormed over to Beni, his hands clenched in fists. "That man you sent me, O'Connell - the one you made me pay half a dozen men to sit in a room doing nothing for an hour to drag over here -_ his name is not on the list!"_

Beni's jaw dropped, and he shook his head in confusion. "No, that cannot be right. He was a major! I swear!"

Gad nodded his head, a strange smile spread across his face and a crazed glint in his eye. "Oh, yes, I asked him about that. He _was_ a major. _Was._ But he, like a good little soldier, marched all the way back to Algeria and discharged!"

Beni stared at Gad in shock. He could barely believe what he'd just heard, but when the words finally sank in, his whole body tensed angrily. "That bastard!"

He pulled his fez off and ran a hand through his greasy hair, his fingers starting to tremble. _Of course_ O'Connell would go back to Algeria and discharge. The son of a bitch was serving voluntarily. He didn't have any sentence to finish up, or a new garrison assignment to worry about. He just quit and went on his way. Now more than ever, Beni hated that stupid American.

"But the thing that really makes me angry, my_ friend_, is even if he had been on that list - you had to pull your little score on Tino Antonopoulos!" Gad gave Beni a hard punch in the arm. "Tino! He is going to make me hang him! Do you know how many of his thieves I have not hanged? I am going to have to hang this one. I can't get out of it."

Beni's mood was slightly elevated by the news that Rick O'Connell was about to meet his end. He shrugged nonchalantly. "So? Hang him. What do I care?"

Gad's eyes glistened, and he took his cigar from between his teeth to motion with it emphatically. "You should care, Beni, because if he is not going to Algeria, I am not getting my officer's price. And if I am not going to get my officer's price, I will get yours."

Beni's easy air clattered to the floor, and his entire body became tense and pleading. He looked up at Gad with his pitiful eyes and grappled for one of his hands. If he was going to have to grovel, he would. Beni Gabor had never been above groveling.

"Gad, you _can't_ send me to Algeria!"

The warden sneered cruelly at him. "Watch me! I would send you to Timbuktu if I could!" The squat little man glowered down at him, his round chest heaving for a few moments before he took a deep breath, and slowly released it. The fire in his eyes dimmed, but a distinctly crueller look replaced it. "Unless..."

Beni perked up in his seat. "Unless?"

Gad's face split into a wide, leering grin. "You made yourself quite the fortune off of Tino, eh?"

That dreadful, sinking feeling hit Beni like a hard punch to the gut, and quite literally, his mouth filled with a foul taste that made him grimace. He refused to look at Gad because he knew the man was gloating, and he couldn't stand to look into his smug little eyes.

"I want it all, Beni. Every last cent."

Beni's eyes jerked up, and stared at the warden in shock. "Gad, I have partners! What am I supposed to do about them?"

Gad shrugged. "That is your problem. You do not think I know that blonde floozy Tino is talking about is your little whore? I could give you both to him. He'd make gyros out of you! So I think we can agree I am being more than generous."

Beni crossed his arms and glared at the floor like a pouting child, too angry to utter a word. This was all O'Connell's fault. That big, dumb American _would_ make the trip back to Algeria just to discharge and leave him to suffer from all of this. Everything had gone so perfectly up until just now. O'Connell had ruined everything with his aggrevating sense of honor.

"Do we have a deal?"

Suddenly Gad's chubby hand was thrust right under Beni's nose. He glared up at the warden and gave his hand a defeated shake.

"Fine. But this is the last time I make any deals with _you."_

Gad threw his head back and let loose a wave of nerve-grating chortles. When he finally caught his breath, he gave Beni a hard clap on the shoulder.

"As long as you stay on the wrong side of the law in _this_ city, my friend, you will be dealing with me!"


	12. The Target

**_Author's Note._**_ We just keep winding down! I THINK we've got about two chapters after this one, but I'm not quite sure. No more than three. I just want to make sure everything's tied up nicely. I can't believe it's almost done!_

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Target**

Beni was in such a sour mood as he left the prison that he didn't even notice the shadowy form of a woman slip silently past him, up to the gate, and into the prison.

She was dressed in simple robes and a veil; nothing was particularly noteworthy about her appearance, except for her eyes, which had a habit of perpetually flashing. The guards, and then the warden, could see she was nothing but an Arab woman - someone they were free to dismiss and send back out into the night at their leisure. But she gave them the broken edge of her gaze, and they directed her down the hallway, to the cell of "that American who was just arrested."

He looked rough. His grim appearance and the defeated way he sat in the back of the cell made her smirk behind her veil. She watched him for an almost-amused moment before saying his name. His head jerked up, and his tired eyes somehow managed to become even more wearied by the sight of her.

"Yasmine," he mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to give you one last chance," she said regally, looking down her nose at him, "before they send you to Algeria."

Rick's brow furrowed. "Algeria?"

She was caught off-guard by the genuine confusion in his gaze, and she stared back at him impatiently.

"Yes, Algeria! I know all about you and the Legion. Izzy told me everything."

A strange expression passed over his handsome features. For a moment, they watched each other in silence, and then he lumbered to his feet and crossed the cramped space of the cell, standing right before her with the bars between them.

"Izzy?" Rick's big hands reached up and grasped the bars between them. She saw them flex and then relax a little. "What did Izzy say?"

Yasmine glanced at her feet, trying to find her footing again. She'd come here knowing exactly what she'd say, and figuring she knew exactly how Rick would react. She thought she had come, sweeping in at his most desperate moment, and winning him back because...desperate people will take anything offered. Anything at all.

"You...deserted. The French Foreign Legion... He said they were going to send you away..."

Rick's hands flexed on the bars again. "I never deserted."

"But - they had this whole plan - "

Rick's eyes widened. He leaned forward a little, and Yasmine might have been scared of him, if not for the bars between them. He glared at her in shock and betrayal, and demanded that she tell him everything. It occurred to Yasmine, maybe halfway through her sputtered tale, that Rick wasn't the desperate one here at all. She was, stealing away to the prison in the middle of the night to try and con a man who didn't want her into being hers again. She was the desperate one...and she gave him everything. Every last detail of Beni's sordid little plan.

Rick just stood her, watching her in awe, his hands continually flexing on the bars, probably imagining them as Beni's and Izzy's skinny little necks, respectively.

"I should 'a known," he muttered when she finished. "I should 'a known Beni was up to something."

Yasmine let out a sigh and crossed her arms. She felt empty and foolish, standing there in the darkness, and she wanted to say something... She looked at the corners of the cell and grimaced.

"How long are you here for?" she asked.

Rick sighed loudly, his arms dropping away from the bars. "I don't know yet. I'm sure they'll be down to tell me any minute. But for a robbery...not long, I hope."

She nodded silently. Cairo Prison was notoriously fickle when it came to sentences, and for criminals like Rick - thieves and gunmen arrested in the night - the native governance rarely troubled the British court system with giving a trial. People like the warden and his brother, the judge, relished the opportunity to punish foreigners in Egypt, and as long as he didn't imprison a British citizen without proper trial, he generally had no one to answer for it. Rick had learned long ago that if he was caught breaking the law in Cairo, he likely wouldn't have a chance to defend himself. The few times he'd been given the opportunity hadn't made much of a difference, either. If anything, it had probably made his sentence worse.

He was considering this grimly when a stooped guard shuffled down the hall. He gave O'Connell a cruel smile and told him flatly:

"You will be hanged tomorrow morning."

Yasmine gasped, and Rick leaned towards the man, grasping the bars between his hands again. His eyes were wide and shocked.

"What? _Hang_ me?"

The guard nodded his head. "Yes. Hang you."

"For _what?"_ Rick demanded, shaking the bars. "For robbery? Battery?"

The guard smirked and gave him a cold shrug. "Your sins are between you and Allah, my friend."

He turned and started back down the dark hall. Rick yelled at him, desperate for an answer, but the guard never turned, never shouted back. He demanded to see the warden, but he doubted anything would come of that.

"Perhaps for going to sleep with that blonde woman."

Rick turned and nearly rolled his eyes at Yasmine's strange and vindictive little comment. "Oh, come _on._ We're not together anymore, Yasmine. I'm allowed to have a good time."

Her eyebrows jerked up incredulously, and she glanced down the hall in the direction the guard had left. "Apparently not."

He let out a heavy sigh, his arms dropping to his side in defeat. She took a few steps closer, resting her hand on one of the bars gently.

"It was nice to know you, Rick. I loved you with my whole heart, and my whole body, and - "

Despite the fact that she was likely the last woman he'd ever see, Rick gave her a stern look and cut her short. If he was going to be looking at a woman for the last time, he'd rather be kissing her...not listening to some passive-aggressive tirade on why she was yet another thing he'd lost tonight. He didn't need it. He'd gotten rid of Yasmine on his own, because she was nuts. He didn't want her a week ago, and he didn't want her right now, when he was assured only hours left to live.

"Thanks for coming," he muttered. She nodded, her hand drifting away from the bars. She gave him one final, dramatic goodbye, and slipped quietly down the hall. If she was crying, he couldn't hear it.


	13. The Scapegoat

**_Author's Note._**_ Well, folks, just one more chapter left, which I'm planning to get up sometime this week. _

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The Scapegoat**

Beni wasn't surprised to come home to a dark apartment; it was after midnight, but still plenty early in the night for Kitty. He breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door behind him, and didn't even bother turning the lights on as he stumbled and tripped through the mounds of clothing she had scattered all over the floor. He came to his bed at last, plopped down, and kicked the sandals from his feet before collapsing on the bed without bothering to change his clothes. It had been one hell of a day, and now all for nothing, and the only thing he wanted was sleep.

It felt like he'd slept maybe five minutes when frantic knocking at his door woke him up. His eyes snapped open, and he was unpleasantly surprised to find that it was morning after all. Warm rays of sunshine splashed across his dirty, disheveled sheets, pressing against his eyes and face and whole body with a heavy sleepiness that gave him a headache. He let out a groan and rolled over to tell Kitty to get the door, and suddenly realized that she wasn't there.

With a frown, he pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked all about the cramped little apartment in confusion. He had no idea what time it was, but it wasn't normally like Kitty to stay with a one-night-stand past sunrise. Usually, she was stealing from them, and usually, she tried to make it back before it got bright enough to make walking home with a hangover uncomfortable.

But there was that knocking again, and it occurred to him that she might have lost her key, and had decided to stay later with whatever man she'd found to hop into bed with that night because she knew Beni wouldn't get out of bed to let her in. It wouldn't be the first time, anyway.

He grumbled a few curses and pulled himself out of bed, trudging across the room to the door. He flung it open irritably and had nearly finished saying, "I told you, I will not get you another key this time - " before he realized that the person standing at the threshhold wasn't Kitty at all.

"If I had a key, believe me, I'd've let meself in already!" Izzy said darkly, his eyes wild and excited. "Come on now, you blackguard, let me in or you'll see the wrath of these!"

Izzy held up his fists angrily, and Beni raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

Izzy let out a short, humorless laugh. "The matter with me? Oh, that's funny. That's a real good one, old chum. You oughtta know _exactly_ what's the matter with me!"

Beni let out a weary sigh and stepped aside so he could come in the apartment.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Beni said, "but if you would stop shouting at me in my doorway, maybe I could figure it out."

Izzy limped his way in, wagging a finger at him as he closed the door. "Think you're awfully clever, playing coy, eh?"

Beni's characteristically lean patience was wearing even more thin, and he didn't think he could manage another moment of Izzy's ridiculous hostility without an explanation.

"If I was playing coy, you would know," Beni said.

Izzy looked at him suspiciously. "Not sure on what 'coy' means, are you?"

Beni glared back. "I do, too. I am just no good at playing coy."

"And yet you do it all the time."

Beni shrugged. "I look pitiable. That is how you sell it."

Izzy's expression lightened for a moment, and he frowned thoughtfully. "Ah, is that the trick?"

Beni nodded, and Izzy appeared to be mulling this advice over in his head for a moment before remembering what had brought him to the apartment in the first place. His face instantly became furious again, and his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"You are just trying to distract me, you dirty little bugger!" he said. "Thought you had me fooled, didn't you? Well, you have to do a mite better than that to pull the wool over the eyes of Isadore Buttons! Just tell me where it is you've hidden it, and we'll settle this like gentlemen."

Now it was Beni who looked incredulous, and Izzy shrugged. "Or, you know, as close to gentlemen as the likes of us can manage."

Beni sighed loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Izzy, I have_ no idea_ what you are talking about."

"Oh, you don't, don't you?"

Beni's jaw clenched, and he fought the urge to wrap his hands around Izzy's skinny little neck and force him to be clear on the matter.

"No."

Izzy scoffed. "Oh, really? No idea? You just...waltzed your pretty little self straight here from the prison, and went right to sleep?"

_"Yes."_

"You didn't, oh...stop by the bar and pick up Kitty?" Izzy said, raising an eyebrow and staring back at him accusingly. "You didn't take a little detour past ol' Varnie's place and pick up somewhere abouts $700, hmm?"

Beni's eyes widened, and he glared at Izzy in something like shock. "Oh, come on, you hid it at Varnie's?"

"Just answer the question!"

_"No._ I did not."

Izzy frowned at him. "Then where has it gone, do you suppose?"

Beni scowled back bitterly. "Oh, _I don't know_, maybe Varnie the very cleanly Jew came across it while scrubbing his own floor for the sixth time that hour! You stupid bastard! Why would you hide it at Varnie's?"

"It was Kitty's idea!" Izzy shouted back.

Beni's jaw actually dropped.

_"Why in hell would you listen to Kitty?"_ he nearly shrieked. Izzy winced under the berating high pitch of his voice. Beni slapped him hard upside his head, and tried to land another, but Izzy quickly ducked out of the way.

"I don't know!" he shouted back. "I thought it was part of your plan!"

Beni's hands clenched into fists now, and he continued to land small but painful punches on the injured man. "Well it wasn't!"

"Stop hitting me!"

"You stupid, stupid bastard!" Beni shouted, giving Izzy a hard shove that sent him reeling but didn't quite knock him off balance. Izzy gave a yelping wince as he steadied himself. Beni heaved loud, angry breaths and attempted to calm himself down. The money was gone. All that money that was supposed to keep him safe from the Legion's clutches, gone. What was he supposed to do now? Gad would certainly turn him over to them now, even if he tried to explain. He would never believe that the money was gone. At least not coming from Beni...

_At least not coming from Beni._

Beni let his face fall into pitiful sorrow, looking up at Izzy desperately. "Oh, but now what will we do about O'Connell?"

Izzy frowned in confusion. "O'Connell? Shouldn't he be on his merry way to Algeria by now?"

Beni took a deep breath and told Izzy all about his misunderstanding concerning the Legion, and how O'Connell was sentenced to be hanged. He told it in his most miserable voice, and he watched Izzy's eyes soften with guilt and fear. He was so caught up in hearing what had happened in the prison, it didn't even occur to him that Beni was the very man who had left Rick to die at Hamunaptra, and certainly couldn't be so opposed to it now. Izzy cared too much about O'Connell to worry over such details.

"...And the warden told me he would release him for a cut of the money, but now it is gone."

"My word," Izzy whispered. "We've really done him in..."

Beni let out a sigh, nodding dismally. He stared out his window with a helpless look on his face. "I wish I could explain it to the warden, but now he is out for me, to send me to the Legion. Not that it would matter. He does not trust me."

Izzy shook his head, and the two of them stood there in silence for a while. Then, suddenly, Izzy straightened and started hobbling towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Beni asked, sounding surprised.

Izzy turned back to face him. "I'm having a talk with the warden. I'll not have Rick O'Connell's blood on my hands."

And with that, he left, limping with great determination. The door closed loudly behind him, and a slimy smirk crawled up the side of Beni's face.

"And that is how it's done," he said, lighting up a cigarette.


	14. The End

**_Author's Note._**_ Just kidding, since this is so short, I figured I'd just post it now. It's been so fun, guys! Thanks for following!_

**_Disclaimer. _**_The characters of _The Mummy _and_ The Mummy Returns_ (very rarely do I have to include that) belong to Universal Studios._

* * *

**The End**

"Beni!"

The smug, familiar voice made Beni Gabor freeze, and a sinking feeling slid in his gut. He gulped and turned reluctantly to see Gad standing right behind him.

"What a pleasure," Gad said, slapping him just a little to hard on the back. "Mind if I join you for a moment?" Before Beni could protest, he added, "Of course not."

"What are you doing here?" Beni asked nervously.

The warden ignored him and sidled up next to where Beni leaned against the rail of the barge. He eyed the cigarette dangling between Beni's fingers for a moment before reaching into his pocket for a half-smoked cigar.

"You got a light?" he asked around the thick roll of tobacco between his teeth.

Beni scoffed. "What are you, a woman?"

Gad cackled darkly, digging around his coat until he found a match. He struck it on the rail of the deck and lit up his cigar. He puffed on it for a moment, nonchalantly throwing out on a trail of smoke:

"Your friend came to see me yesterday."

Beni raised his eyebrows. "My friend?"

"Izzy," Gad said. He looked at Beni hard. "He tried to explain to me how the money had been taken from its hiding place by Varnie Wolfowicz. You know it makes no difference."

Beni hadn't been counting on Izzy to change matters at all. He'd only needed him to buy enough time to find a good place to hide out the rest of the day Friday, so that when Saturday arrived, he could step onto the barge and get the hell out of Cairo for a while.

"I am still sending you to Algeria. And when you drag your pathetic little ass back here, I will _still_ be expecting that money. With interest."

Beni scoffed, wondering to himself how the warden could be stupid enough to think he'd come back to Cairo for any reason, and especially for the reason of paying back a supposed debt. They stood there in silence for a moment, breathing in smoke in the wilting heat of the late afternoon.

"So what did you do with Izzy?" Beni asked finally.

Gad let out a loud sigh and took another drag from his cigar. "I locked him up and told him that the office of warden does not take bribes."

Beni snorted a laugh. "That does not sound like you."

The warden shrugged. "Well, it was the least I could do for Tino, since that hanging did not go as planned."

Beni's whole body tensed, and he stared at Gad with wide eyes. That sinking feeling returned in the pit of his stomach, and he found himself glancing around in paranoia, even though there was no reason for O'Connell to know he was on board, or even for O'Connell to be there in the first place.

"What do you mean?" he asked anxiously.

Gad gave him a curious look and puffed out a cloud of smoke. "This British couple bartered for his life. He's taking us to Hamunaptra."

Beni yelped, his eyes darting everywhere at once. "O'Connell is _here?"_

The warden watched him with something like dark amusement, and slowly nodded his head. "Oh, yes. He should be around here somewhere."

Without another word, Beni snuffed out his cigarette and scurried off. Gad scoffed, taking the last drag of cigar before tossing it into the Nile. It bobbed and finally sank into the murky waters that carried the barge further up, deeper into the heart of Egypt. Somewhere, miles and miles away in the opposite direction, a much sleeker vessel was sailing down the Nile, every moment nearing the wide blue openness of the Mediterranean Sea.

The handsome ship sported a lovely little bar on deck, where couples chatted quietly over cocktails. And sitting up at the bar, between stools occupied on both sides by lonely men minding their own business, sat a pretty blonde in a new dress. She wore just a little too much rouge, but an attractive gentleman at a nearby table couldn't help but notice the loveliness of her mouth. He swallowed the rest of his drink and made his way up to the bar where she sat.

"Another of these," he told the bartender, holding up his glass. He turned his gaze to her, and she gave him a polite smile. "Where are you docking at?"

"Marseille," she said.

He let out a whistle. "So you're here for the long haul, huh?"

She smiled. "I'm visitin' a friend."

"I get off at, uh, Messina."

She nodded her head politely and took a little sip of her wine. He ran his tongue over his lips, desperate to keep the conversation going.

"You know they just rebuilt the cathedral there - because of that earthquake. I promised my history prof I'd see it."

She nodded again. The bartender served up his drink, and an awkward quiet lay between them. She glanced down at his brandy sitting there on the bar, and almost smiled at the nervous way his fingers flexed on the glass.

"Say, can I buy you a drink?" he said at last.

She did smile now, and reached a hand up to touch the side of his face.

"Ah, now ain't you a doll!" she said. "It's so sweet 'a you to offer, really. But I'm sorry, not tonight."

He nodded his head sadly, and drifted away from the bar. She took another sip of wine and grinned to herself.

"I'm buyin' my own drinks tonight."


End file.
